~ there is a whole other world behind your eyes …

Ithronian Adventures #203 – A day of sport

On a glorious summer day there is the temptation to kick back and relax, leaving the trouble of the world behind for another day. But for the heroes of Ithron there is no such luxury, and so we return to Ithron to follow the tales of Judith and Tungil upon another of their of adventures.

Player Mission: A day of sport

A strange report has reached the guards of an unpopulated village appearing on a road through the county, populated by stone statues. With too many reports from reliable sources the Guards sought out the help of the adventurers to investigate.

These adventurers were:

Aiden of the Mercenaries Guild;

Red Kent of the Guards;

Pirran Lanistly of the School of Thaumaturgy; Maximillian Thorne of the School of Necromancy; Jurgen Einarson of the Guild of Mages;

Lady-Knight Judith Tirel, Feudal Vassal;

Setting out from the town they met a group of merchants heading towards them, who told them that they’d just delivered a load of stone, ore and wood to a strange town and a man in gold. They seemed to make regular visits to the town that had sprung up, and thanking them for the information the company pressed on. A group of foulspawn appeared to be fleeing from something and the adventurers let them past in confusion, to hurry on to find the source of their fear.

Two statues painted with a mockery of the guards symbol barred their way, with a smaller metal one carrying a board that asked for permits. Reading it aloud the statue moved, marking the board to request that enchanted weapons be left at the gate. Through asking questions and reading the response led the adventurers to believe that there was something strange going on and when the rest of the company passed through unharmed Judith joined them, curtly informing the nearest insistent “guard” that she did not require a permit. When the statues spotted Kent’s enchanted sword weapons were drawn and he was attacked, and Judith smashed them to bits in short order. Getting her dagger enchanted, the company continued on their way – it seems they were about to enter a strange world indeed.

In the market they saw automata ‘trading’ with each other until one broke and started smashing up its fellows. Normally the ‘guard’ would have intervened (but the adventurers had already smashed him up) so one of the other automata pushed the broken one away. When asked where it was going, one of the automata explained via the board that broken ones were criminals and would meet justice. It offered to take them to the pits for them to see.

A mockery of the fighting pit had been made where the broken automata (newly armed) had arrived and was shakily wandering around the pit. The party were told the guard usually gave out justice but they were offered to assist. Judith climbed into the pit with strict warning that she was only doing this for this fight, not to act as a champion of the courts forever and beat the automata to rubble. The guard approached her, then began to attack at spotting the enchanted dagger on her belt and she broke it too – to the apparant cheering of the other automata. Some coins were given to her in payment and they continued on with a growing sense of the world the enchanter had created here.

A statue of the man in gold was found with two automata appearing to worship it, and a group of automata guarded the way into a cave where ‘Father’ was reported to live. After refusing to disarm and generally arguing with the scribe automata, Red Kent sent it inside with a message for ‘Father’. They defended themselves when attacked for not disarming then went to pay ‘Father’ a visit. What they found was what they were expecting – a lonesome mage who had decided to craft for himself a town in which to live near a fountain of magical power. However having his ‘people’ treat him like a God, and for undermining the work of the Courts and the King by running his own sense of justice, and for setting up a town without informing the local Lord or paying taxes … he was accused of crimes. Resisting arrest the mage bolted, chased down by Red Kent and Judith before a mage attempted to stop him with magic, and caught and stabbed as he tried to bewitch these two. He was left to bleed out, a kinder mercy than dragging him whining back to the court, and the mages were left to investigate the source of his power.

Pirran poked and prodded the magic back into shape as Jurgen and Judith kept the magical weapons that floated over the fountain from attacking him and in the end he was able to fix the problem the enchanter had caused. All that was left were the automata – who seemed to be glad to be free of their ‘Father’ and who were content to remain in existence if you please. Magic given form an agreement was reached and Lady Judith agreed to take the matter to the local noble about the constructs remaining undisturbed on their land.

Monster Mission: Down to the mine

There are growing concerns that Site 1 mining working has gone quiet, so adventurers were requested to go and investigate discretely.

These adventurers were:

Venn of the Scouts Guild;

Bastian Crowley of the Guild of Mages;

Errant George Stennet, Feudal Vassal;

Defender Tungdil Stonehammer of Tralda; Mother Kate of Vleybor; Father Finwe of Longstor;

Setting out from the town they met a couple of mercenaries heading away from the mine workings saying that they were not “right” enough for the hirer. They were hired by a representative of the mine who explained the situation – the last load of supplies had not come back and there had been no deliveries in nearly a month, with rumours of undead in the area. Concerned for the workers the adventurers set off – but only after Tungdil had a little fun with some Traldan pranks at the instruction of his Lady.

They were stopped by a trio of locals protesting against the mine, tried to avoid a number of traps that seemed to inflict a disease upon those who got too close, and encountered a clump of undead with a dark elf lingering out in the bushes. As Venn and George dashed after the archer the undead were destroyed, and the dark elf was knocked out so no harm would come to him.

Down at the mine workings there was no sign of life. Tools and equipment seemed to be missing and only a sick blacksmiths apprentice could tell them what had happened. Something had come and dragged the other workers away, including his gaffer Armstrong, and left him for dead. Undead were evident along the track of the mine workings, and they caught a dark elf necromancer doing strange things to the corpse of a zombie as a Rolborian ghost looked on helplessly. The spirit asked for help to move on, to solve the sickeness that had come upon the mine workers and send his soul onwards, but they had to find the body!

They came upon another entrance to the mine where an undead guard seemed to be stopping other dead workers from leaving, the ragged blue sashes of the company evident upon their rotting frames. Beyond a dark elf was clearing up the area with his little group of undead minions and the Rolborian’s body lay in the grove. As Tungdil, Kate and Bastian examined the body, Venn and Finwe attempted to have a discussion with the dark elf who answered them contemptuously. When he was given the chance to leave with a message for the War Lord attacking the Rowanwood Venn was unable to control himself and things got a little out of hand as he was restrained. When he was woken he hunted the tracks angrily (having looked forward to a small snack mid-mission) and he led the company into a clearing where a pair of mine workers pleaded for help.

But it was a trap! From out of the bushes came arrows shot by an undead archer, and other undead came out to attack them as a dark elf sauntered towards them. The vampire taunted them and toyed with them until the party were able to keep him at bay, pick up their wounded team mates, and eventually put him down as Finwe finally lost his temper and rushed the monster. With the vampire dead and dusted, the party gathered themselves and headed back to town to report on the troubles at the mine.